Visit Castro, the Pearl of Salento, on Aeneas’s Route

Discover Castro, the Pearl of Salento, with us. This excursion will introduce you to Aeneas’s first landing place and the beauty of ancient Castrum Minervae.

The MAR Museum, located inside Castro Castle, is the main attraction in the historic centre. Visitors can explore the rooms dedicated to its three museum sections. The Prehistoric Section displays artefacts from Castro’s two caves, Romanelli and Zinzulusa, as well as finds from the Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement in the Palombara area. The Modern and Medieval Section contains evidence of the settlement dating from between 1600 and 1100, discovered in the Capanne area, where archaeologists uncovered the remains of an ancient Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena and dating back to the 4th century BC. A combined ticket also allows you to visit Zinzulusa Cave, one of Salento’s most beautiful natural caves.

PRICES: daily room rate available on request + museum admission ticket

Admission to the “Antonio Lazzari” Archaeological Museum costs €5 for adults and €3 for children aged 3 to 12. For groups of more than 15 people, admission costs €4 per person. The Combined Ticket for the museum and Zinzulusa Cave costs €8 for adults and €5 for children aged 3 to 12. A combined family ticket for up to 4 people costs €22. For groups of more than 15 people, the combined ticket costs €7 per person. Castro’s MAR Museum is open every day from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm.

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